An old person’s reflection on youth

This week, I’ve been thinking about the merits of youth. I do not know if it is just getting older or being around high school students that caused me to reflect on the topic so much. Probably both.

As I reported on two stories last week — one about five music students who went to Salt Lake City to perform in the All-State Orchestra and Band, and the other about the Utah Shakespeare Festival taking a production on the road — I found myself among the students at Cedar High School.

When I talked with the five Cedar High students who performed in the All-State concert, I enjoyed hearing about their love for music and devotion to the discipline. They practiced hard, with many of them rehearsing through Christmas vacation, to reach their goal of being chosen to perform with the best high school musicians in the state.

One student did not have the advantage of practicing for weeks before the concert because she had been selected as an alternate. She told me that by the time she learned she would get to perform in the All-State concert, she had only five days to learn the music. She added that she really had to practice diligently in those five days.

These students and many others whom I have talked with while reporting on various stories keep my faith in youth alive. Many times, we hear about teenagers’ bad actions, so it is always pleasant to be around those who are disciplined and focused on the goals they have set.

Later in the week, I walked through the halls of Cedar High during lunch period. I had just finished an interview with people from USF as they packed up from performing their Shakespeare in the Schools tour for the hometown kids.

I saw the students as they chatted with each other — boyfriends and girlfriends talking, large crowds laughing and small groups making jokes. I could not help but think how long it had been since I was hanging with friends during lunch. Like these kids, I had some plans, like going to college, but in many ways, the future seemed pretty foggy.

It made me wonder what these students see for their futures. Some of them will go on to college, others may prefer to go to a trade school and others may plan to jump right into the workforce. Some of them may not even know yet which direction they want to go.

Their futures are wide open, and I hope each student achieves his or her personal dreams or discovers what those dreams are.